The Dimes

Some bands may rule the night, but The Dimes are the kings of Sunday morning. . For much of the last decade, these boys from Porland have been creating a world… A sunny, slow one with gorgeous harmonies, some classic 60’s pop songwriting, and lush, vibrant guitar tones… one reminiscent of a somewhat slower time where artists took their time and crafted something they love. . Formed in 2005, the group originated when guitarists John Clay and Pierre Kaiser decided to form a band with “small songs, ones that would be worth more than bigger ones...like the coin” The duo quickly expanded to a quartet with drummer Jake Rahner and bassist Ryan Johnston and the classic Dimes lineup was born. . The original quartet toured extensively for several years and released a few EP’s, but they really found their sound with the 2007 release of “The Silent Generation”. Inspired by stories from depression-era newspapers that the band discovered underneath the floorboards of their 1890’s home, “Silent Gen” introduced the world to many of the bands most well-known songs, including Dimes classics “Paul Kern Can’t Sleep” (a true story about a WWI vet who was shot in the head and lived, but never slept again for 30 years) and the bands most well-known track, “Catch Me Jumping.” An exuberant uptempo romp with a unforgettable melody, “CMJ” is best known for it’s “whoa whoa whoa” chorus that have been has featured on dozens of network television shows and independent films in recent years. SoundExchange estimates that that one track has been downloaded/streamed/played well over 2,000,000 times from Pandora, Myspace and the like. . After several tours and some additional EP’s, the band followed up with their second full-length effort “The King Can Drink The Harbour Dry” in 2010. The King record revealed a lusher, folkier direction for the band, with some california-country touches such as banjo, pedal steel and elements reminiscent of Neil Young’s Harvest recordings. The band also expanded their live show to a 7-piece to recreate the dense arrangements found on tunes such as “Save Me, Clara” and “Damrell’s Fire.” The record was well received, receiving accolades from NPR, Spin, Under the Radar and MTV. . In the last two years Clay and Kaiser have focused on developing their production skills more and more, specifically with an eye towards television and film… which has led to a slew of soundtrack work for the two, scoring the soundtrack for the successful indie film “Summer Snapshot” (which featured at the Tribeca Film Festival, Claremont-Ferrand etc ) and over 50 television spots on MTV, ABC, the CW and the like. The band has continued to gain notoriety in the film industry, gaining accolades from many notable filmmakers, including Quentin Tarantino, Cameron Crowe, and Ian McCluskey. . Moving forward the Dimes duo has been collaborating with singer Kelly Anne Masigat of late and expect a third Dimes release in early 2013. The band has hinted that it will be “more of an uptempo affair… Johnny’s melodic sense is still there, but the guitar tones might be the thing we’re the most excited about, and Kelly’s harmonies are just lovely. Best stuff we’ve ever done, hands down.”
Biography
by William Ruhlmann
Indie pop quartet the Dimes was formed in Portland, OR, after singer/songwriter/guitarist Johnny Clay met the other members, guitarist Pierre Kaiser, bassist Ryan Johnston, and drummer Jake Rahner, in 2002. While performing extensively in their local area, the Dimes self-released a six-song self-titled debut EP in 2003, followed by another, Atlanta, in 2005. They next released four-song EP The Long Arm Came Down on January 15, 2007. Their first full-length CD, The Silent Generation, had songs based on newspaper articles from the Depression era found by Kaiser under the floors of his 1908 home while he was renovating it. The Dimes began selling the album at shows on August 25, 2007. Local label Pet Marmoset Records picked it up for national retail release starting on December 11, 2007.